RICHMOND — A divided City Council voted to renew the contract of a code enforcement attorney Tuesday, overcoming fierce opposition from a councilman who has been the attorney’s most high-profile target.

The council voted 4-2, approving a $175,000 contract to retain Trisha Aljoe to continue her work with the Police Department and code enforcement officials, mostly pursuing legal abatement proceedings against blighted properties and drug houses.

“(Aljoe) is a very important member of our department, and she comes at an extremely low cost,” police Chief Chris Magnus said. “She gives us a range of services, and we get lot of value out of her.”

But Vice Mayor Corky Boozé disagreed. Boozé, a 69-year-old former race car driver, said the time to cut the city’s budget is now. Earlier Tuesday, Richmond City Manager Bill Lindsay announced that a 14.61 percent decline in the assessed value of properties in Richmond is expected to cost the city $6.1 million in tax revenues this fiscal year. That news came after the city passed a $144 million budget last week.

The city’s decline in assessed value was driven largely by a roughly $1 billion drop in the valuation of the Chevron refinery after last summer’s fire, according to Contra Costa Assessor Gus Kramer.

“It’s time for belt-tightening,” Boozé said, adding that he believes the city will have to lay off workers in the coming months.

But residents and council members questioned whether Boozé should even be part of the debate. Boozé and Aljoe have been at odds for months, as Aljoe has built a legal case aimed at forcing Boozé to clean up a property he manages at 22 Carlson Blvd. — a property filled with dozens of old cars and one the city alleges is an environmental hazard.

“Why is Boozé not recusing himself?” asked Mike Parker, a resident and the editor of the Richmond Progressive Alliance’s newsletter. “Everybody knows the white elephant in the room is the dispute between Boozé and the city over his junkyard.”

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